EP7. North Korean Gate
The Homunculus Staff.
It was Jang Gil-san's weapon, an S-rank item no less.
He had acquired it by chance from the Hunter Association but had never once used it.
The reason was that it was less a weapon and more like defensive gear due to its special ability.
The Homunculus Staff possessed a single special power: it imprisoned enemies in a magical prison forged from mana.
The problem was that creating this magical prison required an enormous amount of mana.
Most hunters collapsed from mana exhaustion just trying to pour their mana into it.
The Hunter Association's mages had passed out countless times from fainting spells and mana depletion just to barely maintain the current prison.
Jang Gil-san had reached a state of utter exhaustion, constantly pouring mana into restore the magical prison that shattered every single day.
Yet he couldn't stop injecting mana even for a day.
If he, the only lured mage among the S-rank hunters, didn't do it, the prison would have broken immediately.
Jang Gil-san watched with worried eyes as Jae-jun stepped forward.
As an S-rank, he probably wouldn't collapse right away or suffer mana exhaustion, but it would still consume a massive amount of mana.
The people around didn't hold out much hope either.
Even so, Jae-jun casually placed his hand on the Homunculus Staff.
Mana surging!
What the hell?
The staff's crystal orb rippled and began emitting a bright light.
Overload intensifying!
The vibrations grew stronger, making the staff tremble violently.
Visible mana poured out from the crystal orb, rising like heat haze.
Mana is flowing out?
No!
Jang Gil-san's eyes widened.
It wasn't mana flowing out—the Homunculus Staff couldn't handle all of Jae-jun's mana.
Flash!
A brilliant jade-green light burst from the crystal orb and shot toward the magical prison.
And a barrier tougher than any they'd seen before sealed off the gate completely.
"Wh-what the hell?"
"Did that guy just do that?"
"Who the hell is he?"
The hunters, who had been fighting for their lives, stared wide-eyed at the sudden hero of the moment.
Then someone recognized Jae-jun and shouted.
"It's the Dragon Knight!
I saw him on the news yesterday!
It's definitely the Dragon Knight!"
"Dragon Knight?"
The murmurs grew into a massive cheer that echoed across the entire Gyodongdo Island.
Dragon Knight!
Dragon Knight!
The Homunculus Staff, now filled to its absolute limit with mana, slowly plunged into the ground.
Waaaaah!
Amid the roaring cheers, Jae-jun gave an awkward smile.
"Ah.
Sorry about that.
I couldn't push it to the max 'cause I was worried the staff might shatter."
Jae-jun grinned playfully at Kang Jun-yong.
Kang Jun-yong's face was a weird mix of grimace and smile.
"Y-you..."
Jae-jun turned to look at Jang Gil-san.
"Oh, right.
President."
To the man standing there with his mouth agape in shock, Jae-jun said,
"I'll join the raid party."
And all the hunters around who heard that erupted in cheers once more.
In truth,
Up until he'd been at the association office, Jae-jun had planned to turn down Jang Gil-san's offer.
His top priorities were finding Lucifer's soul fragment and completing his job change quest.
But upon arriving at Gyodongdo, Jae-jun changed his mind.
It was because of the quest that had popped up when he infused mana into the Homunculus Staff.
Slaughter the Death Knights of the Cursed Dungeon!
📍 Description: You've discovered a new cursed dungeon. The Death Knights emerging from it are slowly devastating the surrounding area! Break through the guarding monsters, eliminate the Death Knights inside, and restore peace!
🎁 Rewards:
◈ Job Selection
◈ Level 200 Cap Removal
◈ Lucifer's Soul Fragment x1
☠ Failure: Death
This was a golden opportunity to complete his job change quest and obtain Lucifer's soul fragment at the same time.
Plus, he could raid the dungeon alongside the Hunter Association's hunters—there was no reason to refuse.
"Thank you, Hunter."
Hwang Dong-su, who had been standing silently beside Jang Gil-san, bowed his head in gratitude to Jae-jun.
Thanks to Jae-jun's mana, all these hunters could finally catch a proper breather, even if just for a little while.
Man, this is embarrassing.
Burdened gazes poured toward Jae-jun from all around.
Jae-jun had racked up yet another achievement as the Dragon Knight amid the misunderstanding that wasn't quite a misunderstanding.
Jae-jun and Jang Gil-san returned to the Hunter Association using Kang Jun-yong's jumper ability.
Jae-jun wanted to tackle the cursed dungeon right away, but the other hunters were in too dire a state.
Jang Gil-san, gritting his teeth and vowing to prepare thoroughly this time, said he needed three days.
Three days, huh.
Wonder what I should do in the meantime.
After a moment's thought, Jae-jun spoke up to Jang Gil-san.
"Then... mind if I borrow him for those three days?"
"...Me?"
Kang Jun-yong looked at him in bewilderment.
"Yeah."
Jae-jun nodded.
"Doesn't feel right just lounging around for three days.
Now that I'm S-rank, figured I'd clear some gates.
There's plenty of 'em across the country anyway."
"Hahaha."
I knew I wasn't wrong about him.
Jang Gil-san nodded inwardly, raising his evaluation of Jae-jun even higher.
His tireless drive to help people without a moment's rest was worthy of the title Dragon Knight.
Kang Jun-yong nodded along quietly once he heard the reason.
But.
Time to use Blood Bond to strengthen my minions while I'm at it.
That was Jae-jun's true goal.
"I rushed out thinking it was something urgent, and it's gukbap again?"
"What? You lookin' down on gukbap right now?"
"..."
"Don't you remember back when we were kids, too broke to order anything but a bowl of gukbap to go with our soju?"
Ji-hoon's face was already beet red, clearly a few drinks in.
"What happened to get you like this?
Someone give you shit at work or something?"
Jae-jun ordered another bowl of gukbap and sat down.
About fifteen minutes earlier,
The moment Jae-jun got home, he'd gotten a drunken call from Ji-hoon that was more rant than anything.
Hey man.
I'm so tired.
Buddyyy!
Miss ya!
Sob.
"Dude.
How much did you drink?
Get your ass home."
Jae-juuuun!
Miiiiss yoooou!
After some agonizing, Jae-jun had come out here anyway.
He was worried the thoroughly wasted Ji-hoon might cause an accident or something.
"Should I just quit my job and head somewhere far away, like Southeast Asia?"
"What's up?
Spill it."
Jae-jun poured soju into his own empty glass too.
"Someone bullying you at work?"
"Bullying?"
Ji-hoon snorted.
"Yeah, bullying.
I'm gettin' bullied hard.
Haa."
Ji-hoon's voice cracked as he spoke.
"Those damn gates are bullying me so much!
No time to rest at all!
I open my eyes, it's gates. Open 'em again, more gates!
I'm sick of it!"
Gulp gulp.
Ji-hoon downed his soju in one go.
"I see more monsters than people these days!
The hunters they send never show up, sayin' they're busy!
And I have to eat all the shit!"
"...This is all 'cause of the gates?"
Nod nod.
Ji-hoon nodded vigorously.
"How many gates are there even?"
Ji-hoon fumbled for his phone, swaying unsteadily.
"Look at this.
Red dots are gates."
Most were in rural areas.
Yeah, makes sense—too far from the capital for hunters to bother easily.
That was why monster damage was worse in the provinces than Seoul.
The map on his phone showed six red dots.
"...You want me to handle all of 'em?"
"You?"
Ji-hoon's half-lidded eyes snapped to Jae-jun.
"For real?"
"Yeah."
Ji-hoon stared at Jae-jun for a long moment, then chuckled.
"Heh, you're all I got, man.
Thanks anywayyy."
Thud.
With that, Ji-hoon slammed his head onto the table.
"Hey.
Dude, wake up."
No matter how much Jae-jun shook him, Ji-hoon was out cold.
Sheesh.
The gukbap hadn't even arrived long ago.
As Jae-jun hoisted Ji-hoon up, he glanced at the TV in the shop and his eyes went wide.
"..."
The news on screen was running all sorts of stories about the Dragon Knight.
"Whoa!
Jae-jun, that's you!
It's you!"
Ji-hoon had apparently woken up and was yelling at the top of his lungs.
Glance glance.
He could feel people staring.
"Dude!
Keep it down."
Jae-jun hurriedly paid and dragged him outside.
Sheesh, this guy can't hold his liquor at all.
No wonder he hadn't heard from him in a while—gates must've kept him swamped.
Don't worry, I'll clear every last one of those gates tomorrow!
Speaking of, where the hell does this guy live again?
Jae-jun shook his head and hauled Ji-hoon toward a motel.
—Afterword—
Thank you.